Asylum DC was a fantastic rock and roll lounge which opened in 1991 and was set over two floors. It had a relaxed atmosphere and featured plenty of live music entertainment. It also served great food and had a good happy hour.

Open till late

The party never ended at Asylum. From Monday to Friday, both upstairs and downstairs at The Asylum were open from 5pm right through to 2am in the morning. On Saturdays and Sundays you could party even longer. Downstairs was open from 5pm until 3am and the upstairs venue opened at 11am and closed at 3am. Many people will have been very tired at work on Monday morning after a late night out at The Asylum rock & roll lounge!

Located at 2471 18th Street Washington DC, The Asylum was very popular with a lively rock music loving clientele.

After 8pm, Asylum rock & roll lounge was open only to those over 21 years of age, on a Saturday, it was for 21+ after 5pm.

You could even host a private event at Asylum, a great place for a rather wild party! The venue could accommodate parties of up to 150 people.

A great place for vegans and vegetarians

The menu was tailored specifically for vegetarians and vegans and the place was famous for its amazing vegan brunch which was served on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am until 4pm. You certainly didn’t need to be vegan to enjoy that tasty brunch, or anything else from the menu for that matter. This brunch was actually voted the best vegan brunch by both VegDC.com and Best of Washington. Other specialities included pancakes, French toast, vegan huevos rancheros and their own house made Bloody Marys. If you couldn’t cope eating a meal without any meat, then that was also no problem as there were some meat based dishes on the menu too for the die hard meat eaters.

Happy Hour had some great deals

If you visited any day between 5pm and 8pm you could save some money as this was Happy Hour. During these hours you could get a dollar off rail drinks and also off draught beers. If you like a few drinks over the course of the evening then this could add up to quite a good saving. The Asylum was popular with students, who of course tend to be on a budget, so they certainly made the most of Happy Hour. Usually Happy Hours are just about cheap drinks, but at The Asylum DC there were also some discounted foods too, You could pick up the .50 wings or the $1.50 tacos if you visited between 5 and 8 any day of the week.

Awesome music – played loud

One of the best things about Asylum DC was the fantastic live music. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, there would always be something fantastic going on. There would be bands and DJs and the music was always loud and it certainly got you up and dancing. There was a mixture of musical styles played at the Asylum Bar & lounge. One night you’d have rock n roll music, the next might be heavy metal or indie, other nights you’d be treated to a punk band performance.

Some other more unusual events

Asylum also played host to many other events. Every last Sunday of the month there was Tribal Cafe belly dancing. Local organization awareness events were held during the week. There was basically everything from art shows to applesauce wrestling!

Great casual atmosphere

The Asylum was a great place to hang out. There were several billiard tables so you could have a game with friends. There were plenty of comfortable seating areas, or you could hang out at the bar.

Love of The Asylum displayed on your chest

For those who truly loved The Asylum, and there were certainly plenty of people who did, there was a range of t shirts for sale for $12 each. You could wear it at The Asylum, and you could also show you appreciation of the venue round and about in Washington DC. There was a choice of standard t shirt and vest style, and there was also a wide range of color options.

Something special going on every night

Every night at The Asylum Bar & Lounge was special. There was always something going on. There’d be something to watch, or something to join in with. There’d be a special on the menu or some sort of great deal. While the music was often the highlight of any visit to The Asylum all the other entertainment on offer really shouldn’t have been overlooked as you’d have really missed out on a whole load of fun and some fantastic special offers.

Monday Night was Poker Night

Monday night was very popular at The Asylum rock & roll lounge. For one thing, it was Jorge’s Empanada Night, and who doesn’t love an empanada? But it was also poker night. Every Monday, The Asylum hosted a Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament. The games started at 7pm and ran until 10pm. There was space at the poker tables for up to 30 people to play. The great thing about The Asylum poker night, was that it was free to enter, but not only that, there were also chances to win real prizes, not just small prizes such as free drinks or food at The Asylum, but totally awesome prizes such as the chance to go to Las Vegas!

Special vegan offers on a Tuesday

Tuesday night was vegan night. Often at places like this, vegans get a raw deal. Rock music venues aren’t usually noted for their dedication to their vegetarian and vegan customers, but this was so not the case at The Asylum. There was a wide range of vegan options on the menu. In fact there were more vegetarian and vegan dishes on the menu than dishes that contained meat! That’s pretty unusual for any menu, never mind one from a lively rock and roll music venue. Tuesday was the best day to visit The Asylum if you were vegan, or enjoyed vegan foods as on Tuesdays if you bought one vegan entrée you could buy another one, of the same or lower cost, for half price. Again, this special deal was very popular with the student population. When you combined this deal with some Happy Hour drinks you could have a really great but cheap night out.

Other special food nights

At places like this, that you tend to visit because you want to see the bands, have a dance, enjoy the music and have a drink, the food can often be overlooked. That’s why the Asylum always had something special on offer, to tempt you into indulging in some food. Well, when you’re out until the early hours of the morning, it really makes sense to grab something to eat too. It will give you extra energy to keep you going through the night and well into the morning, and filling your stomach can also keep that dreaded hangover at bay! There was a different culinary delight on offer every night, and it was hard to decide which night was your favorite.

Pizza Night

On Wednesdays it was Pizza Night. Well you can’t beat a good pizza, and these were great pizzas! Every Wednesday there were 9 inch speciality personal pizzas made fresh on the premises and served up hot.

Mac & Cheese Night

On Thursdays it was Mac & Cheese night. There’s nothing more comforting than traditional mac and cheese. The Asylum’s mac and cheese was so tasty, made with a tasty blend of Cheddar cheese, American cheese, Asiago cheese and Blue cheese. A total cheese delight!

Fish Fry Night

Friday was Fish Fry night. Well it’s traditional to have fish on a Friday isn’t it! Or should that be Fryday! So on Fish Fry Night you could enjoy battered and fried fish, served up with steak fries and tartar sauce. Also on Friday they had a drink special offer too. You could get a huge $3 discount on any drink that came with Red Bull.

The Asylum Bar & Lounge is greatly missed

This is not the official website of The Asylum rock & roll lounge, unfortunately for rock music fans, The Asylum has now closed down, and it doesn’t look like it will be reopened in the future. While there are other rock venues in the city of Washington DC, many of them are very good too, anyone who ever spent their evenings at The Asylum will have some fond memories and it will certainly be missed by many.